Bee Friends Farm

What Bee Friends Farm does

Bee Friends Farm is a family-owned migratory beekeeping operation and direct-to-consumer honey brand founded in 2013 by Michael Leach in Jacksonville, Florida. The company manages up to 600 colonies across multiple apiary sites in Northeast Florida and Michigan, producing more than 10 raw single-floral honey varietals (Wildflower, Tupelo, Black Mangrove, Orange Blossom, Saw Palmetto, Gallberry, Sourwood, Goldenrod, Clover, Buckwheat) through strategic hive placement during peak blooms. Its processing approach deliberately avoids high-pressure filtration to preserve natural pollen and enzymes, and it extends into controlled-crystallization creamed honey with 20+ flavor infusions, barrel-aged specialty honeys, and hand-poured organic beeswax candles.

The business operates an omnichannel retail model anchored by a Shopify e-commerce storefront (beefriendsfarm.com) and a brick-and-mortar shop at 1118 S Edgewood Ave in Jacksonville's Murray Hill neighborhood. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales (149 SKUs across honey, specialty items, candles, bundles, beekeeping supplies, and live 5-frame nucs), recurring streams (Adopt-a-Hive sponsorship at $39-$250 and a honey subscription with 30% initial / 10% recurring discounts), and experiential services (hands-on beekeeping experiences, the annual BeeFare festival, and corporate gifting/education programs). Wholesale distribution runs through regional retail partners including Gate Stations, Fresh Market, Native Sun, and Proctor ACE Hardware, while a hospitality partnership with the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island places hives on-property and exposes the brand to luxury guests.

The company is privately held with no institutional funding, no subsidiaries, and no public listing. It is led by founder Michael Leach (Head Beekeeper), Christie Leach (third-generation beekeeper leading product development and education), and partner Paul Sifton, supported by an 11-50 employee base that operates the retail store, online fulfillment, and field operations across Florida and Michigan.

Name

Bee Friends Farm

Legal name

Bee Friends Farm

Website

https://beefriendsfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bee Friends Farm is a family-owned migratory apiary in Jacksonville, Florida, founded in 2013, that produces and sells raw, single-floral Florida honey varietals, creamed honey, beeswax candles, and beekeeping supplies directly to consumers via Shopify e-commerce, a Murray Hill retail store, and regional wholesale partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Honey and Beekeeping Products

NAICS

Apiculture (112910)

akta.pro primary industry

Honey Production & Extraction (AFAEAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Value-Added Bee Products Manufacturing (Candles, Cosmetics, Supplements, Mead Ingredients) (AFAEAHAM), Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE) (AFAEAHAI), Package Bees & Colony Sales (AFAEAHAF)

Keywords

• Raw honey products
• Beeswax candles
• Beekeeping supplies
• Honey varietals
• Apiary products

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Honey Product Sales: Primary revenue from selling raw liquid honey varietals (Wildflower, Orange Blossom, Black Mangrove, Tupelo, Saw Palmetto, Gallberry, Sourwood, Goldenrod, Clover, Buckwheat), creamed/flavored honeys, and bulk quantities from half-gallon to 5-gallon buckets.
2. Adopt-a-Hive Program: Four-tiered adoption program ($39-$250) where customers can adopt beehives as gifts with various benefits including personalized certificates, honey products, candles, seed packets, and in-person hive visits at higher tiers.
3. Honey Subscription Service: Recurring subscription model offering 30% off initial purchase and 10% recurring discounts on cream and liquid honeys, 20% off specialty items, and 10% off candles. Requires three purchases to qualify for discounts.
4. Beeswax Products: Hand-poured organic beeswax candles including various shapes (sphere, skep beehive, pillar, votive, taper, tealight), plus bulk beeswax sales.
5. Beekeeping Supplies and Equipment: Hive components, protective gear, smokers, hive tools, feeders, and live bee nucs (5-frame nucleus hives for spring pre-order). Local pickup in Jacksonville.
6. Beekeeping Experiences: Scheduled, guided educational experiences during spring and fall seasons where customers can visit and learn about beekeeping hands-on.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bee Friends Farm produces and sells raw Florida honey varietals (Wildflower, Orange Blossom, Black Mangrove, Tupelo, Saw Palmetto, Gallberry, Sourwood, Goldenrod, Clover, Buckwheat), creamed/flavored honeys, hand-poured beeswax candles, beekeeping supplies and woodenware, live bee nucs, and bee-related gifts via an e-commerce storefront, a Jacksonville retail shop, and regional retail partners. The company also runs an Adopt-a-Hive sponsorship program, honey subscriptions, beekeeping experiences, and an annual honey bee festival.

Product overview

Bee Friends Farm is a family-owned apiary in Jacksonville, Florida offering a diverse portfolio of honey products and beekeeping services. Their core offerings include Raw Florida Honey Varietals (single-floral honeys like Wildflower, Orange Blossom, Black Mangrove, Tupelo, Saw Palmetto, Gallberry, Sourwood, Goldenrod, Clover, and Buckwheat) and Raw Creamed Honey (whipped crystallized honey with various flavor infusions). These are supplemented by Specialty Products (honey sticks, bee pollen, comb honey, infused honeys, barrel-aged honeys), Best Selling Bundles (pre-curated gift sets), Beeswax Candles (hand-poured with hemp wicks), and Local Partner Products (soaps, lip balm, honey pots from Jacksonville makers). The company operates a retail store at 1118 S Edgewood Ave in Jacksonville and offers several services including an Adopt-a-Hive program (4 tiers from $39-$250), Honey Subscriptions (with recurring discounts), 5-Frame Nuc Box sales (live honey bee colonies for spring pre-order), and the annual BeeFare Honey Bee Festival. They also sell Beekeeping Supplies (hives, protective gear, tools) and Educational Books for aspiring beekeepers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raw Florida Honey Varietals Single-floral raw honey varieties sourced from different Florida ecosystems, including Wildflower, Orange Blossom, Black Mangrove, Tupelo, Saw Palmetto, Gallberry, Sourwood, Goldenrod, Clover, and Buckwheat, available in sizes from 8oz to 5-gallon buckets.
• Raw Creamed Honey

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 600 healthy bee colonies managed during peak season
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, standard and minor.

• Ritz Carlton Amelia IslandnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael Leach manages honey bees for the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island where he provides honey bee presentations and honey sampling for group events. This partnership showcases their honey products to hospitality guests and demonstrates their beekeeping expertise in a luxury setting.
• Gate StationsstandardChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner distributing Bee Friends Farm honey products through their convenience store locations in the Jacksonville area.
• Fresh MarketstandardChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail partner distributing Bee Friends Farm honey products at their grocery store locations.
• Native SunstandardChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal natural foods retailer distributing Bee Friends Farm honey products in Jacksonville.
• Proctor ACE HardwarestandardChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHardware retailer distributing Bee Friends Farm honey products and potentially beekeeping supplies in Jacksonville.
• Community LoavesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbor business located next to Bee Friends Farm retail store at 1118 S Edgewood Ave. Cross-promotional relationship with fellow local Murray Hill small businesses.
• Duval Soil and Water Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to share pollinator education information. Content collaboration for Pollinator Field Day events.
• Happy Bake Day Show (Amanda)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood blogger who created Honey Bacon Brussels Sprouts recipe featuring Bee Friends Farm Wildflower Honey. Recipe shared on Bee Friends Farm blog showcasing collaborative content marketing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mann Lake: Mann Lake is a major US beekeeping supplies distributor selling hive components, protective gear, tools, and live bees to hobbyist and commercial beekeepers. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm on the equipment and supplies catalog with overlapping SKU categories (jackets, hive kits, smokers, nucs).
• Dadant & Sons: Dadant is one of the largest US beekeeping supply companies offering hives, tools, protective gear, and bees (package bees and nucs) alongside honey products. Directly comparable on the beekeeping supplies and live bee nuc side of Bee Friends Farm's business, serving the same hobbyist and small-scale beekeeper customer base.
• Betterbee: Betterbee is a Northeast US-based beekeeping supplies retailer and honey producer offering hive components, tools, bees, and educational programming. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm on the supplies-plus-education-plus-honey combination, and on the Northeast regional beekeeper customer base.
• GloryBee: GloryBee is an Oregon-based honey producer and beekeeping supplies retailer offering raw honey, beeswax, hive equipment, and educational resources through both DTC and wholesale channels. Directly comparable in combining honey production with beekeeping supplies retail and educational content, though at larger scale and Pacific Northwest geography.
• Local Hive: Local Hive is a US raw and unfiltered honey brand distributed through major grocery retail chains, offering single-origin US varietals at premium positioning. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm on raw varietal honey product line and grocery channel distribution strategy, though at larger retail scale.
• Brushy Mountain Bee Farm: Brushy Mountain Bee Farm is a long-established US beekeeping supplies retailer offering woodenware, tools, protective gear, and educational resources to hobbyist beekeepers. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm on beekeeping equipment catalog, educational book offerings, and small-scale beekeeper customer segment.
• Savannah Bee Company: Savannah Bee Company is a premium artisanal honey brand based in Savannah, GA selling raw varietal honeys, beeswax products, and gift sets through DTC e-commerce, retail storefronts, and wholesale. Highly comparable to Bee Friends Farm in product mix (raw varietals + candles + gifts), target customer (premium gift and locavore buyers), and Southeast US regional positioning.
• Kelley Beekeeping: Kelley Beekeeping is a heritage US beekeeping supplies company (since 1924) offering hive kits, tools, protective gear, and live bees. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm on equipment range, nuc offerings, and hobbyist beekeeper customer targeting, though at broader geographic and longer-tenure scale.
• Hill Country Honey: Hill Country Honey is a Texas-based raw varietal honey producer selling creamed honey, comb honey, and beeswax products through DTC and regional retail. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm on raw varietal focus, creamed/flavored honey line, and DTC-plus-wholesale go-to-market model.

Emerging players

• Honey Tree Apiaries: Honey Tree Apiaries is a small-scale regional honey producer offering raw varietals, creamed honey, and beeswax products direct to consumers with an emphasis on local sourcing. Comparable to Bee Friends Farm at similar small-batch scale on raw varietal honey and beeswax candle product mix, serving overlapping locavore customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BeeFriendsFarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/BeeFriendsFarm
• Xx.com/beefriendsfarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bee-friends

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bee Friends Farm